Billy G. Garrett, Doña Ana County Commissioner, is running for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico in the 2018 Democratic Primary. Garrett will hold a press conference to talk about his campaign plans at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 24 Mesilla Plaza.

“I am proud to announce my candidacy in historic Mesilla, at the heart of Doña Ana County. New Mexicans are ready for a change that will lead our State into the future it deserves. The values I have followed as a Commissioner compel me to take up the challenge of this race,” Garrett said.

“I’ve never considered myself a career politician, so I had no plans to run for anything at the end of my second term on the commission,” Garrett said. “However, with encouragement from a good number of people and after discussions with my wife Cynthia, I knew that this was a step I had to take. Governor Martinez and President Trump are using the power of their positions to benefit a few at the expense of everyone else. I’m running to be your next Lieutenant Governor because New Mexico needs a team in Santa Fe with the courage, experience, and vision to see that state government addresses the needs of residents as its primary responsibility.”

Garrett has served as a county commissioner in Doña Ana County since 2010. His district extends from the historic neighborhoods and south along Highways 28 and 478 to the northern boundary of Anthony, New Mexico. He’s led regional planning efforts, championed establishment of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument and advocated to protect Medicare and preserve social security.

The primary election will be held on June 5, 2018, and Garrett says he is not waiting any longer to get started.

“Too many New Mexicans are struggling,” he said. “Unemployment is too high, wages are stagnating, and now millions of New Mexicans see their health care at risk. We need to send a message to New Mexicans, and the entire country, that we are ready to make a positive change for our future.”

For more information, see Commissioner Garrett’s biography below:

Billy G. Garrett

A third generation New Mexican, Billy G. Garrett was elected in 2010 to fill the District 1 seat on the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners. District 1 extends from the historic neighborhoods and downtown area of Las Cruces west to Picacho Hills and Mesilla, and south along Highways 28 and 478 to the northern boundary of Anthony, New Mexico.

As a Commissioner, Garrett has worked to improve financial management and effectiveness in county government, advocated for rural communities and responsible development, and expanded participation of residents in decision-making. He was Chair of the Board of County Commissioners from October 2013 through January 2016.

He has also served on a number of public boards and committees, including: The South Central Solid Waste Authority (SCSWA), South Central Regional Transit District (SCRTD), Caminio Real Regional Utility Authority (CRRUA), the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley (ASCMV), and the Policy Committee of the Metropolitan Planning Authority.

Garrett grew up in Las Cruces and graduated from Las Cruces High School. He holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a graduate degree in Anthropology from Arizona State University.

He has provided active leadership in the “Viva Doña Ana” regional planning initiative, on social justice issues—including the 2012 & 2013 J Paul Taylor Symposium, and in protection of public lands—most especially designation of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.

He helped organize the Coalition for Pets and People and has been an on-going advocate for the “Zero-in7” initiative focused on saving all healthy and treatable animals at the county’s only public animal shelter.

In 1983 Garrett began a 26-year career as an architect and manager with the National Park Service. Over the course of his career he worked at Grand Canyon National Park, on Civil War battlefields and in the nation’s capital. As chief of operations at Gateway National Recreation Area, he directed the work of 300 employees and was responsible for annual budgets of more than $30 million.

Garrett is the son of Edgar and Nancy Garrett, long-time educators in Las Cruces. Cynthia, his wife, also worked for the Park Service. At the time of her retirement she was the Superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island.

The Garrett’s live on the west mesa outside of Mesilla with their dogs, Obi and Kiddo.